The Elementary School
1991 · Movie · 100 min · ★ 7.3 · 88% critics
In a small village just after World War II, a group of unruly schoolboys throws their classroom into chaos until a new, tough teacher arrives. His strict but fair approach wins respect, while everyday pranks, family pressures, and the shifting mood of the times push the kids toward growing up faster than they expect.
Also known as Elementary School
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Details
- Original title
- Obecná škola
- Years
- 1991
- Release date
- 1991-08-08
- Language
- CS
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (64 votes)
About
If you enjoy sweet-but-bitter coming-of-age stories with mischievous kids, strict authority, and a darker historical backdrop, this may click; Not for you if you want nonstop laughs or a plot like Kolya or My Sweet Little Village.
Pros: warm nostalgic humor; memorable teacher figure; strong ensemble acting | Cons: thin overall story; uneven tone shifts; some dated politics
Themes
- world war ii
- teacher
- school
- 1940s
Awards & recognition
- Golden Kingfisher Award — the best feature live action or animated film · 1991
- Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1992 · nominated
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1992 · nominated
Cast & crew
Václav Jakoubek
as Eda Souček
- RB
Radoslav Budáč
as Tonda Čejka
Jan Tříska
as Igor Hnízdo
Zdeněk Svěrák
as Fan Souček, Eda's dad
Libuše Šafránková
as Mrs. Součková
Rudolf Hrušínský
as Headmaster
- ME
Marek Endal
as Rosenheim
Irena Pavlásková
as Tramvajáková
Ondřej Vetchý
as Tramvaják
Daniela Kolářová
as Maxová
Directed by Jan Svěrák